Maricopa Property Tax Bills Are Out – Schools Big Winners Again

The Maricopa County property tax bills have been distributed and education again is by far the largest recipient of our tax dollars. For example, the Paradise Valley School District is receiving 61.35% of our property tax dollars. If we discount the state aid funds, which are still tax payer funded but from a different source, the education share of the pie is 65.61%, nearly two thirds of our property taxes.

This effectively debunks the claim by the #RedForEd, “Invest In Ed,” and their ilk that we are neglecting education.

For those who pay attention to such things, here are two sets of numbers, taken directly from the tax statement, that support the foregoing statements.

First, let us look at the percentage change from 2017 to 2018:

● PARADISE VALLEY UNIFIED +2.5%

● PARADISE VALLEY UNIFIED BONDS +5.5%

● PARADISE VALLEY UNIFIED OVERRIDES +16.3% (Highest increase)

● COMMUNITY COLLEGE DIST. +2.8%

● COMMUNITY COLLEGE DIST. BONDS +0.4%

● STATE EQUALIZATION TAX +2.1%

● WEST-MEC -11.9% (Vocational school dist. Only one with a decrease)

Next, we cite the section of the statement labeled “Who is accountable for my property taxes?” We are listing them as a percentage of the total levied:

● Your elected state officials have levied 4.81%

● Your elected County Board of Supervisors has levied 12.88%

● Your combined elected school boards have levied a total of 41.98% (largest)

● Voters in your district voted to impose 28.54%

● Your elected City Council has levied 10.30%

● Independent Special District Boards combined to impose 1.49%

Next time you hear a government official claim that we did X without a tax increase, or next time you hear activists claim we are neglecting education, watch their growing noses.

Jose is the director of the Arizona’s People’s Lobbyist, which strives to inform citizens about upcoming legislative activity, encourage them to participate in the process, and facilitate participation via his Facebook page www.facebook.com/AZRRT/ and his website www.azpeopleslobbyist.com.